Am I on the right track?

sarahscott9064

I wasn’t sure where to post this. I’m 39 and 5’7”. SW: 290 CW: 220 and my short term goal weight is 195. I’ve been trying to keep my calories around 1650 per day. All my TDEE calculations have it set around 2200. I generally get about 45 minutes of cardio 6 Days per week. Walking and starting to add running. I want to be a runner, dang it! I also try to lift decently heavy 3 times a week and I do see a personal trainer once a week and he pretty much kicks my butt. Lots of full body work. Am I on the right track here? I’d love to hit 199 by my 40th birthday, in June. If I don’t, I’ll get as close as I can. But, I’m never sure if I’m eating too much or too little. I’m trying a new approach of NOT eating exercise calories back, because it’s such a rough estimate of what I’ve really burned. I use a Garmin that tracks my steps, workouts, HR and calories burned. Any thoughts or tips? I’m super happy with 70 pounds down in about a year and a half.

AnnPT77

It sounds like you've been at this for a bit: How fast have you been losing, on average? It's a good idea to keep actual loss rate at 1% of your current body weight or less. Not losing too fast is really the point, rather than eating back exercise or not. It's just that people with an aggressive loss rate target who don't eat back exercise are risking unhealthily fast loss.

Your workout program sounds varied and pretty well-rounded. Seems like you're on a good track to me.

sarahscott9064

Thanks! I have weeks where I don’t lose at all, and then 3 Pound week’s. Averaging between 1-2 pounds a week, I guess? The closer I get, the more impatient I become! Lol!

JeromeBarry1

Just be patient. Keep doing what you're doing. You're not acting like a person who wants to become skinny fat. Rather, you're acting like a person who wants to be strong.

AnnPT77

sarahscott9064 wrote: »

Thanks! I have weeks where I don’t lose at all, and then 3 Pound week’s. Averaging between 1-2 pounds a week, I guess? The closer I get, the more impatient I become! Lol!

That rate should be OK for a while yet, then, as long as you're feeling strong and energetic. I understand impatience, but slow and steady is better in so many ways, including avoiding losing more than a minimum of lean tissue alongside fat loss.

You didn't mention eating, but of course enough protein, enough fat, and plenty of nice veggies/fruits for micros & fiber - those are the key points.

sarahscott9064

Exactly! I’ve got the desire. And the knowledge is coming. Lol. My goal is to be strong. Lots of focus on my macros and all that good stuff. Thanks!!!

lynn_glenmont

sarahscott9064 wrote: »

Thanks! I have weeks where I don’t lose at all, and then 3 Pound week’s. Averaging between 1-2 pounds a week, I guess? The closer I get, the more impatient I become! Lol!

This is an appropriate rate of loss for you, which means you should keep doing what you've been doing, including eating your exercise calories, or some portion thereof, if that's what you've been doing.